Brick-drier.



No. 679,8I6. Patented Aug. 6, |901.

F. ALSIP.

B R l C K D R l E R (Application med Dec. 28, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Ill

No. 679,816. Patented Aug. s, |901.

F. ALslP.

BRICK DRIER.

(Application led Dec. 2B, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

TH: Nonngs Prinsce., PHoTu-LlTHmWAsmNGToN, u. cy

UNITED vSTATi-is PATENTv OFFICE.

FRANK ALSII, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRICK-unisa.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 679,815, dated August 6, 1901.

Application led December 28, 1900. Serial No. 41,370. (No model.)

.To all whom 1125 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ALSIP, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in

' the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus in which the ordinary brick may be ro baked or dried and which is adapted for use zo nation with heat generated by the suns rays.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a cross-sectional View of a drier constructed in accordance with my improvements; Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional detail taken on line 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3, an enlarged vertical sectional 3o elevation of a portion of the drier, taken on line 3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4, a plan sectional detail taken on line 4 of Fig. 1.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that it is desirable to pro- 3 5 vide a drier which can be operated with the 4o fair weather.

least possible expense and in which the brick may be dried by the use of artificial heat in cloudy, rainy, or stormy weather and with the assistance of the suns rays in The reasons why such a drier p as this is desirable are: First, it is well known that in those sections of the country where brick-clay is most readily accessible there is at least one -third of the time when the weather is cloudy, rainy, or stormy, and that if the drier was dependent entirely upon the heat generated by the suns rays for evaporating or drying purposes therewould be a great loss in time without considering the 5o fact that the brick would be in an exposed condition and subjected to the elements, all of which would tend to greatly deteriorate the same, and, second, more or less machinery is used at the brick-yard, which necessitates the use of a steam generating plant, and it is economical to condense this steam and use the water of condensation over again, so that if the heat in this con.- densing steam could be used to assist in drying or to aid the drying at certain times there would be just so much gain, all of which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a brick-drier which can be used the year round and in which artificial heat alone can be used during cloudy, stormy, or rainy weather, and which can be used in combination-with the suns rays atother times.

In constructing a drier in accordance with my improvements I provide a pair of standards ct, which extend longitudinally along the ground parallel with each other and are used for the purpose of forming side closures and to provide an artificial-heating chamber b and also as standards for the support of the bricks while being dried. These standards are supported upon cross-ties g, which raise them a short way from the ground and permit the air to pass under the same and between the cross-ties or sleepers,-this arrangement being preferred for the reason that the cold air always seeks the lowest level and will pass into the heating-chamber to force the hot air upwardly, as indicated by the arrows.

`To form a removable cover for the heatingchamber and at the same time furnish the immediate means for supporting the bricks while they are damp, being dried, and taken away, a number of pallets c are provided and arranged transversely across the heatingchamber, with their ends resting upon the standards, as shown particularly in Figs. l, 2, and 3. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that each pallet supports a row of bricks e and that such bricks are arranged near the lateral edges of the pallets, the pallets being arranged in pairs, with their adjacent edges contacting each other and each pair separated, so as to form a small space up through which the heated air may pass. The top of each brick-pile is closed by a set of bricks f, so as to force the air or heated air out through the spaces or interstices in IOO each row, as shown in the front elevation of FiO. 1.

In order to supply articial heat to the bricks, the heating-chamber is provided with a series of pipes h, arranged, preferably, at the lower portion of the chamber, longitudinal thereof and on the cross-ties, as shown particularlyin Figs. l and 4. These heatingpipes may be used for the conduction of any kind of heat, eitherin the shape of Huid heat or a resistance-coil for the generation of electric heat, and which may be inclosed within the pipe for the purpose of safety. I prefer, however, to use these pipes as shown and connect them withasource of exhaust-steam, for the reason that nearly every brick-yard is supplied with a boiler plant to supply energy to run the machinery, and by this means I am enabled to use such steam as would'othl erwisebewasted. Byconnectingthesepipes, therefore, with an exhaust-pipe of the steamengine they can be used to conduct the steam 4 through the heating-chamber of the drier, so that the radiation which is giving 0E therefrom while the steam is condensing may -be used very economically to dry the bricks and at the same time the steam is condensing and may be used over and over again, provided suitable apparatus, as is well understood by those skilled in the art, be connected with the pipes to catch and return the same to the boiler.

It is well known that the bricks are molded or formed from wet clay in another part of the yard and that it is desirable after the formation thereof that they be placed upon pallets, which may be laid upon a truck and some means provided by which this truck or car can be pushed or run directly into the drier and the pallets laid without rehandling upon the supporting-standards. To accomplish this result, each heating-chamber is provided with a pair of tracks e' of any desired gage, which extend longitudinally thereof, so that the truck or car, which may be of any usual construction, may be run directly into the drier and the pallets which are supported thereon lowered into the desired position upon the supporting-standards. This can be accomplished in many ways; but I prefer to use a truck of such nature that its side walls will be higher than the side walls of the drier and which may be collapsed to bring the upper portion thereof lower than the upper edges of the supporting-standards and place the pallets thereon, as shown in the accompanying drawings. v

As shown and described, it will be seen that heat in the nature of artificial heat can be forced through the heating-chamber to dry out the bricks at times when the sun is not shining, as in cloudy, rainy, or stormy weather. It is desirable, however, to provide means by which the suns raysmay be utilized for drying or to assist in drying the bricks in clear winter or summerweather. To accomplish this, the roof of the drier is provided with girders j, which extend transversely from the main walls lc across the same,` on which is longitudinally supported a series of ventilators formed, as shown in Fig. l, by having side-supporting portions Z and fm and an inclined hinged portion n, which is pivoted at a pointp to one side of the center, so that the tendencyof the same is to keep closed, as shown in full lines in Fig. l, but which may be opened by taking hold of the foldable handle q and afxing its free end in one of the perforations r, as shown also in Fig. l. This action permits'the rays from the sun, which is in the south, (and to the left preferablyof Fig. 1,) to beat directly into the drier and be used either entirely for the purpose of drying the bricks or to assist the artiiicial heat generated in the heating-chamber in doing'the work.

It is desirable that means be provided by which the operator may run along the roof of the drier to operate the ventilator, and for this purpose I provide gutters or runways, which are usually constructed as shown in Fig. l at tand which are formed of the baseboard t and side supports m and u.

I claiml. In adrierof the class described, the combination of a pair of supporting-standards extending parallel with each other form-ing inclosing sides of a heating-chamber, cross-ties upon which they are arranged to provide an opening between the standards and the ground, a removable cover portion formed of the pallets c, and mechanism for heating the chamber, substantially as described.

2. `In a drier of the class described, the combination of a pair of side-supporting standards extending parallel with each other forming inclosing sides of a heating-chamber,

cross-ties upon which they are arranged to provide an opening between lthe standards and the ground, a removable cover portion formed of the pallets c, and heating mechanism arranged in the heating-chamber, substantially as described.

3. In a drier of the class described, the combinatiion of a pair of side-supporting standards arranged parallel with each other so as to form inclosing sides of a heating-chamber, cross-ties arranged upon the loor to sustain the side-supporting standards and provide openings between them and the ground through which cold air may enter, a series-of removable planks or boards to form a cover -for the heating-chamber, and a pipe or pipes extending longitudinal of the heating-chamber and connected with a source of huid-heat supply, substantially as described.

4. In a drier of the class described, the combination of a pair of side-supporting standards arranged parallel with each other and forming inclosing sides of a heating-chamber between them, a series of cross-ties to sustain the supporting-standards above the floor and provide an opening between them and the ground for the admission of cold air, a series IOO of removable planks forming a cover for the heating-chamber and resting upon the supporting-standards, a series of pipes arranged longitudinal of the heating-chamber upon the cross-ties and connected with a source of exhaust-steam for supplyin g artificial heat to the heating-chamber, and a pair of tracks arranged longitudinal of and in the heatingchamber by which a truck may be run into or out of the heating-chamber for the purpose of placing bricks on the supportingstandards or removing them therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In a drier of the class described, the combination of a pair of side-supporting standards' arranged parallel with each other and forming inclosing sides of a heating-chamber between the1n,crossties upon which such supporting-standards are sustained to provide an opening between them and the floor for the admission of cold air, a set or series of removable planks arranged crosswise on the upper portion of the supporting-standards to form a cover for the heatingchamber, and a roof portion to the drier provided with a ventilator having a pivoted inclined cover arranged to be opened and closed, substantially as described. Y

6. In a drier of the class described, the combination of a pair of side-supporting standards arranged parallel with each other and forming a heating-chamber between them, cross-ties upon which such supporting-standards are sustained to provide an opening between them and the floor for the admission of cold air, a set or series of removable planks arranged crosswise on the upper portion of the 

